Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Buddhavamsa
Buddhavamsa[]
(The Lineage of Buddhas)
The Buddhavamsa (also known as The Lineage of Buddhas) describes the life of Gautama Buddha and of the twenty-four previous Buddhas who had prophesied his attainment of Buddhahood. It is the fourteenth book of the Khuddaka Nikaya.
The first chapter tells how Gautama Buddha, to demonstrate his supernormal knowledge, creates a jewelled walkway in the sky. In seeing this display, Sariputta asks the Buddha:
"Of what kind, great Lord, supreme among men, was your resolve? At what time, wise one, was supreme Awakening aspired to by you? ... Of what kind, wise one, leader of the world, were your ten perfections? How were the higher perfections fulfilled, how the ultimate perfections?"
In response, the Buddha relays the remainder of the Buddhavamsa.
In the second chapter Gautama tells how in a distant past life as Sumedha, he received a prediction from the then Dipankara Buddha that "In the next era you will become a buddha named Shakyamuni.", and thought out the ten perfections he would need to practice.
Chapters 3 through 26 are accounts of the twenty-four historical Buddhas who preceded Gautama Buddha, and the acts of merit that Gautama Buddha performed towards them in his previous lives.
Chapter 27 (Chronicle 25) is an account of the life of Gautama Buddha.
Chapter 28 mentions three Buddhas that preceded Dipankara, as well as the future Buddha, Maitreya.
Last chapter tells of the distribution of the Buddha's relics after his death.
Buddhavamsa Scanned[]
Chapter 1. Section on Jewel Walk
Chapter 2.
Account of Sumedha-Who Became Gautam Buddha
Chapter 3. First Chronicle: Buddha Dipankara
Chapter 4. Second Chronicle: Buddha Kondanna
Chapter 5. Third Chronicle: Buddha Mangala
Chapter 6. Fourth Chronicle: Buddha Sumana
Chapter 7. Fifth Chronicle: Buddha Revata
Chapter 8. Sixth Chronicle: Buddha Sobhita
Chapter 9. Seventh Chronicle: Buddha Anomadassin
Chapter 10. Eighth Chronicle: Buddha Paduma
Chapter 11. Ninth Chronicle: Buddha Narada
Chapter 12. Tenth Chronicle: Buddha Padumuttara
Chapter 13. Eleventh Chronicle: Buddha Sumedha
Chapter 14. Twelfth Chronicle: Buddha Sujata
Chapter 15. Thirteenth Chronicle: Buddha Piyadassin
Chapter 16. Fourteenth Chronicle: Buddha Atthadassin
Chapter 17. Fifteenth Chronicle: Buddha Dhammadassin
Chapter 18. Sixteenth Chronicle: Buddha Siddhattha
Chapter 19. Seventeenth Chronicle: Buddha Tissa
Chapter 20. Eighteenth Chronicle: Buddha Phussa
Chapter 21. Nineteenth Chronicle: Buddha Vipassin
Chapter 22. Twentieth Chronicle: Buddha Sikhin
Chapter 23. Twenty-First Chronicle: Buddha Vessabhu
Chapter 24. Twenty-Second Chronicle: Buddha Kakusandha
Chapter 25. Twenty-Third Chronicle: Buddha Konagamana
Chapter 26. Twenty-Fourth Chronicle: Buddha Kassapa
Chapter 27. Twenty-Fifth Chronicle: Buddha Gotama
Chapter 28. Miscellany On The Buddhas
Chapter 29. Account of The Distribution of Relics
Download/View English Translation[]
Buddhavamsa PTS translation is available in two parts in .pdf files here(due to 10 mb limit), click to open then save these files (on Windows press right click then use 'Save link as') :
Original Pali Version[]
(From www.tipitaka.org)
The following freely available .PDF files were taken from www.tipitaka.org. These are from Vipassana Research Institute. These contain the original words in Pali language.
The translation of original Pali words can never convey exact meaning, hence these are being provided for research & comparison. The www.tipitaka.org website also contains files in many other languages.
It is also to be mentioned that in original Pali language Buddha is referred as Bhagava(God), Bhagvanta(God), Sattha/Satthu(Teacher).
Pali-English Version[]
Mula(Main) Version: File:Buddhavamsapali mula.pdf
Atthakatha (Explanations): File:Buddhavamsa-atthakatha.pdf
Pali-Devnagri Version(Sanskrit/Hindi Script)[]
Mula(Main) Version: File:14.Buddhavamsapali-dev.pdf
Atthakatha (Explanations): File:Buddhavamsa-atthakatha-dev.pdf